He is your advocate.

I remember a time when lies were spoken about me.

It was a difficult time. I had just had the carpet ripped out from underneath me as my marriage was de-solving before my eyes. All of the 7 years and 3 kids later I was just trying to keep my head above water. Trying to please everyone and do the dishes.  Then one day I hear, ‘this isn’t going to work’. Wow. So as the weeks go by in a cloud of dismay, I suddenly hear from friends at the church we attended that there are lies being spoken about me regarding our marriage and who I am as a person. This is devastating. Why?, after all the hurt and abandonment would lies be spoken about me too? This didn’t make sense. Why additional hurt and daggers? I have been trying to raise our children and make my husband happy for years as I put my own needs aside and now, not only abandonment, but bad things are being said about me? It was so absurd that it was difficult sometimes not to just laugh. And laughing is what I needed at the time for sure.  A little less stress would have been nice, so laughing is actually a little of what I did and then I went to the Lord.

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.   You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors. 

But, I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make straight your way before me.” ~ Psalm 5:3-8

I cried to God and He reminded me that He was and is my advocate. He was to defend me and no one else.  I was to rest in Him. This was not easy. I wanted so much to defend myself and go talking to anyone that may be believing the lies. However, I stepped back and stayed out of it. The Lord reminded me that he always brings the truth to the surface by what people are actually doing. I had kids to take care of and things to figure out and I did not need to be worrying about what people thought of me. I had no time for that. He also reminded me that my true friends would stand by me and those believing lies are obviously in the dark and not being true friends. I carried on. 

“Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. Declare them guilty, O God!  Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. "

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” ~ Psalm 5:9-12

I began to rest and trust in my Savior and Lord. He walked beside me and helped me not just get through each day, but also find joy in Him throughout my days.  I encourage you to trust in God to be your advocate this day. Trust Him to take you through and bring you through with joy! Rest in Him this day. Read Psalm 5 again and again and be reminded of his care and love for you. Trust Him to take care of those people and things in your life that you have no control over and learn to let go. You are surrounded with favor as with a shield loved one, take joy in Him!

Comfort

As my Bible was sitting out on the table this week, I came across some verses that reminded me of God's comfort.   As a single mom, I would look for all the verses that really spoke to my situation.  It was good to be broken and turn to God for help during those times. When I didn’t, heartache was all that was left because I was usually trying to take care of everything myself.  May you find comfort in these words as well.

Comfort, comfort my people, 

says your God. 

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem [God’s chosen people/now we are chosen],

and proclaim to her 

that her hard service has been completed [years of slavery],

that her sin has been paid for,

that she has received from the LORD’s hand 

double for all her sins. 

See God’s people [Jerusalem] kept wandering from God’s guidance and God wanted them to come back to Him. He goes on in the next set of verses to prophesy about the coming of Jesus and show His people the hope of their salvation and lives.

You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, 

lift it up, do not be afraid; 

say to the towns of Judah,

Here is your God! 

He tends his flock like a shepherd; 

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young. 

I was very grateful for these verses when I was a single mom, they brought great comfort to me to know that Jesus, my Savior, was also my friend and shepherd. He was close to me and took care of me. I did not always know what to do and it was very difficult having no one to talk to about things such as a car repair, moving, going to back to school, purchasing this or that, but God....God was there. 

It also put me in my place to read such passages as....

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,

or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket?

I was reminded of His Sovereignty as Ruler of all Mankind when I would read...

He brings princes to naught

and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

No sooner are they planted,

no sooner are they sown, 

no sooner do they take root in the ground, 

than He blows on them and they wither,

and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 

And in all my weariness and tiredness......I would find comfort in these...

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

the LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired or weary, 

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint. 

~Isaiah 40

My sweet dears that kept me so busy!! :)  This picture is from 2007. :) 

No shame.

There once was a young family that lived on the edge of town. The couple had three young children and seemed to live a quiet life. The husband worked daily and the wife stayed home with the youngest two children.   The children loved swinging on the swings in the backyard as it was a daily favorite.  However, sometimes the quiet was too quiet, not enough communication to be healthy and one day things changed.  For days, only a few sips of soup could sustain the wife.  She was now on her own. It seemed all that had held her together had been shattered. She had questions, unpaid bills, no job, 3 children to support, and more than anything else, unrelenting shame.  As a Christian, how could this happen?  This was something she vowed never to allow. How could she face her friends, her church, her parents, her life?  This was just something that does not happen to good people and most of all, Christians. How could she continue and where would she go from here?! The rug had been pulled out from underneath her. 

See this mom had unrealistic expectations. She expected her decision to stay married and love for life to prevail, not realizing that others may not keep promises. This young mom desired to have a perfect family. Well by all means it was her goal in life!!  It was her goal to get married, love her husband and children and live happily ever after.  Well, it worked for Cinderella right?!  All we need is love, right? Just love and snuggle and be happy, all will be well.  No arguing, no fighting, all is calm.  If no arguments, then all must be grand, right?! No disagreements, well, even no communication. No discussion or expression of feelings between spouses in order to even have a disagreement. She slowly began to realize this may not have been as happy or wonderful as she had been disillusioned to believe. Now she wondered if she would ever find love again? Who would want to love her with a past? She felt no hope. 

As time passed, this young mom was blessed with a job right across the street from her home, two of her children were in school now and her youngest was watched by a wonderful lady from church at no cost. God showed his provision and His care in many ways. Sometimes there were bags of groceries on the front porch left for her little family.   God was providing and bringing healing, however, there was one item still bothering this mom.  Shame. This would be with her for always and she did not think she could handle it.  She felt deeply the shame of being divorced and what made it worse was there was no way around it and it seemed like no hope of ever escaping it.  This is not what she wanted and how could any good come of this? 

In her prayer time and with a dear friend/mentor that God brought in her life over the next few years, she began to see God’s hand in this more than she ever thought.  At times she felt abandoned by Him as well.  God began to speak to her in quiet moments.  She would cry about not having the family life she wanted and feeling way too busy and tired to enjoy her children.  The Lord spoke to her about wanting the ‘perfect family’ over wanting Him. He spoke about how life is not about being comfortable or having a perfect family,  but about being shaped into His image, getting to know Jesus so well that she becomes like Him in love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, etc.  He would often say to her that He can speak and work in her life, when she is broken.  

This young women was me and I began to embrace change.  God reminded me of the story in which Abraham was called to sacrifice Issac.  I laid down my expectations and hopes in a perfect family and began to hope in God.  I also laid down the shame.  I actually learned to embrace the brokenness in my life, since God told me He was going to use it for good.  He reminded me to have humility and comforted me in the hard times.  He showed me his love by some verses such as, “Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth, And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. 5"For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth” from Isaiah 54:4.  As I embraced humility and found my joy in God, He was closer than I ever thought possible.  Also, Psalm 25:3, “Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed.” “Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours”, from Isaiah 61:7.  The days I chose to wait on the Lord and listen to Him I found such amazing joy and peace.  I learned my goal was to please the Lord, not those around me. I also found out that God favored me and found no flaw in me.  If I could make those words jump out of the page at you I would!!  Listen to that!!  He has FAVOR for YOU!  AND THERE IS NO FLAW IN YOU!! 

Now this is my story, your story may be different. In my situation, I was abandoned, but you may have been the one abandoning in your relationship.  If so, you may feel convicted and if that is the case, ask the Lord to show you where you may have been wrong, then repent, ask forgiveness and come back under His umbrella of protection. There are always two sides of every story and 2 people in a relationship it was not perfect from either side, such as mine.  The Scripture teaches not to divorce in the first place and everything that can be done should be done to try to keep it together.  However, in cases of immorality, the divorce is allowed by Scripture.  There are more topics on this and many books on the subject, feel free to read this book or others like it.

Here are some more verses to really think about and let become a part of you:

"Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. 35"For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD. Proverbs 8:34-35

Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.…Proverbs 3:4-6

1Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid. 2A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil. Proverbs 12-1-2

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. Song of Solomon 4:7

  

As the years went by, I learned to embrace God, embrace change and embrace my children in a new way. I learned to trust God in a way I never had before.  I learned to hold onto my life and my kids with open hands, knowing that God knew what He was doing and was bigger and stronger than I to take care of them.  I grew to love my story.  I grew to embrace the story of brokenness and not be ashamed of my past.  My past is a part of me and it does not determine my worth.  We can feel tainted sometimes in our Christian circles, if we have experienced a divorce, but God says there is no flaw in you.  No flaw!!  You are His and He is yours.  He loves you with an everlasting love and His love endures forever.  Rest in His love for you today. 

I see you, single moms

Recently reading 'The Beauty of Broken' by Elisa Morgan, I realized I have much to say. Well, let me say I was 'reminded' I have much to say.  I feel as if God has been after me for a while to write to single moms.  I see you around me everyday.  I run into you at the store, at work, or in my own home. I see you as I teach your child at school, I see you at church, I see you as I walk down the street and I am moved.  I am moved deeply. I know your pain.  Often when I see you, there is not enough time to share my heart.  So here is the 'go to' place.  I have a lot to say and it will take a while, so I am going to start a blog at a time.

So, my kids were about 5, 9 and 11 and a dear friend was giving me my 'once a month indulge me because I do nothing for myself' massage in my home, of which I only had about 3-maybe in the whole 10 years. Anyways, as a single mom who has time for a massage right?!  My friend said something in passing that made me curious about the way others viewed me.  She said 'you seem to have it all together'.  At the time, I was like, 'what?!!'  I sure don't feel like I have it all together and what does 'having it all together' even look like?  I was a single mom working 2-3 jobs at a time, barely there for my kids and running all the time playing catchup. Its interesting how others may view us, isn't it?

Well I was trying to do 'it' right. I was trying to raise my kids to know God and see his faithfulness. I was teaching them and talking with them about God, but also falling down by snapping at them from time to time. I was not doing it right by working too much and spending too much time away. I was not doing it right by trusting in myself and not in God a lot of times.

Spiritual: My first encouragement, as you are probably trying to figure out what you are doing to bring income into your home is, trust God. Wait on Him and listen to Him.  Don't fret. If there is one thing that will always take you down the wrong road, it is fretting.  Fretting is worrying and worry is fear. He says, "So do not worry saying 'what shall we eat?' or 'what shall we drink?' or 'what shall we wear?' For pagans run after these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matthew 6:31-34  So trust Him.  You may not know the answer, but trust Him first. Then the answer will come. Give Him time to show you He is true, He is provider for you. He is your husband.  Wait on Him for your need.

Practical: If you are working more than one job, pray about it. Figure out how much time you actually have with your child or children and if it is really worth it.  Be creative. Get some cost cutting books from the library and see where you could cut back on your budget.  Make a budget if you don't have one.  You do not 'have' to have everything you want! Be very realistic about what you need and cut out the rest. It won't be forever, but investing in your kids is far more important than a certain home or rental, eating at restaurants, buying a new car, making a 'great' Christmas with lots of toys, etc.  Just imagine what God could show your kids about His character if you waited on Him for what you needed. They would learn His faithfulness and how He provides for his children. Also, you are not entitled to have things a certain way.  There is no entitlement here.  I once thought I was entitled to have those things we all want, a marriage that was amazing, a home that was big and grand, a new car, a beautiful yard and I was somehow a failure if I did not have those things by a certain age.  A lie. One big, fat lie.  You are to be obedient to the Lord and submit to His will, which is to not worry, He sees you.  A few other practical examples of saving money: have a roommate or two, find a cheaper place to stay, cut out cable and internet, make a meal plan with cheap meals on it (mac'n cheese, spaghetti, tacos, soup) and don't buy other stuff when you are at the store!, any of those things you 'always wanted' when you had kids--don't buy them. Wait on God to provide just those things you need and maybe a few surprises!!

Quick glance at God's husbandry:  He gave me a beautiful blue and silver coffee travel mug.  I was wanting a travel mug, I had not said a word to anyone about it. I had not even prayed about it and the next day, there it was.  It was given to me. He will bless you too.  Trust Him.

Words 2.12.2013

"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." ~Proverbs 12:18

Its amazing what can happen when we are not careful with our words.  When talking with someone take a breath before answering and in that breath pray for a humble spirit and a loving voice.  Take that time to decide how to respond instead of react.  Our words reveal our character and what is going on in our hearts.  Take time to respond instead of react.  Your words could hurt or bring healing. Which will yours bring?

The impossible

Nehemiah is a book about the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the exiles had returned.  The city went a while without being rebuilt and when Nehemiah decided to rebuild it there was opposition on every side. However the impossible was in fact possible.  It took time, determination and perseverance trusting in God to make the way.

This inspired our class to discuss all the impossible things in our own lives that we would love to see happen either in our present lives or the future.  Some talked of careers and others...homework, but seriously there was good discussion and thought about future dreams etc.  I talked with the class about a 24 year old named Katie Davis with Amazima Ministries, Click here.  It is amazing to discuss the faith and adventure in a young lady that is just like these students but a few years older living in Uganda with 13 adopted daughters and running a ministry that is supporting over 1200 children and families a week.

The students were inspired and felt called to help Katie and the kids in Uganda too!  They are now bringing in their loose change to collect in a jar for Amazima. They are trying to bring in $25 a month as it is a way to help on the website.  It says $25 a month will help provide over 600 children with education, food, school supplies, and discipleship.

 I am so proud of these students and looking forward to helping Katie's kids!  If you get a chance read  her book, Kisses from Katie.

Eye is the lamp

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,^[c] your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are unhealthy,^[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

~ Matthew 6:22-23

We must be careful what we look at!  What you let in through your eyes becomes something you think about...consider if it is something that honors God.  Not only is this verse talking about what you look at, it is also talking about what you set your mind on....is it something that honors God?  Are  you thinking selfishly or selflessly? Are you considering others and what they would like or need? 

Consider others better than yourselves. Ask The Lord to be light in you today and set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.  All the things around us are going to pass away, the tv shows, the football games, the cool clothes, the next best iPhone or iPod,etc.  Let go of them, don't focus on those things that will pass away...focus today on your friendships and those relationships that will not pass away! See what you can do today to honor God with your eyes so your whole body can be full of light!

Perseverance

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.  ~ James 1:1-7

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^b rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we^c also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  ~ Romans 5:1:1-4

I teach my students to interpret scripture by scripture and as I was reading I noticed these two sections of scripture are very similar.  They both basically say the same thing about trials/suffering and perseverance. James says trials test your faith and can produce perseverance and Paul said in his letter to the Romans that suffering produces perseverance.  Actually James explains the trial or suffering in you is a testing of your faith which produces perseverance.

So what's perseverance and why is it important to me? Well dictionary.com defines perseverance as a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state,etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.  It is important that we steadily persist in a certain course of action especially when the course of action is following Christ.  This reminds me of the scripture, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do."~ Galatians 6:9.  May we not become weary and keep persevering.

There was a time in my life when I was working 3 jobs and raising three children as a single mom each evening and there was much weariness in my life.   It was a very difficult time and I remember collapsing on the couch one evening exhausted physically, emotionally and spiritually and laying my 10 year old daughters hands on my shoulder asking her to pray for mommy as she was very tired.  There was a strength that came over me as she prayed.  I thank The Lord for that prayer and was able to continue with joy. I also made some changes with my jobs soon after which was also an answer to prayer. 

As we see in the scriptures above perseverance has a purpose, it's not just going on for nothing.  James said you will be mature and complete, not lacking anything and Paul says you will produce character and character, hope. So we can be sure character is involved with being mature and there is hope in our lives because of Christ. He does not disappoint. 

James also says God will also give wisdom to those who ask which also brings character, however this is also something that takes faith. As you see he says if you doubt when you ask, you are like a wave blown and tossed by the wind. Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do to see (Hebrews11:1).  Growing in character takes a testing of your faith.  Are you going to trust The Lord for maturity and character as you persevere in hope?  Rest in Him knowing that He loves you and knows what you need before you even ask Him. Rest knowing He wants you to persevere in Him. 

Spirit Upon You

11/9/2012

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

~Isaiah 61:1-3

Let us remember that if we have accepted God's gift of life we have also accepted the Holy Spirit into our lives.  If and when we walk in the Spirit, we also preach Christ with our lives.  

No matter where you are in life, chances are the person or people you come in contact with today only share one thing with you, that is they have troubles too.  However, their troubles may be very different than yours.  Everyone has a story and a past that they have come from and that has shaped them in many ways.  Use your time with that person to ask the Lord how to 'preach' to them.  As Isaiah was prophecying to Judah calling them back to God when they strayed, reminding them of where their hope came from, He told them they are to preach good news to the poor.  I see this 'poor' term more to describe a person that is going through trials without Jesus.  

Remember you are free in the Lord as you have accepted his gift and not only free, but called to 'preach' to others this good news.  As you walk in the Spirit, ask the Lord how you can help bind up the broken hearted, proclaim freedom for the captives and release from prison for the prisoners today. People today may not be in an actual prison, but in a 'thought' prison.  They may be believing lies about themselves such as, 'I will never measure up', 'I can never get things right' or 'there is no hope' and God can send you into their lives today to help them see the truth.  The truth about themselves in Christ, such as 'God's grace covers all' and 'there is a Source of true hope and He is available to you.'

Also telling them He wants to comfort those who mourn and give them praise instead of despair.  How many of us need comforting?  Many of us have some kind of loss we may have experienced in which comforting is needed.  There could be a loss of a job, a parent, a child, a dream, or loss of innocense through an act of terror.  May God comfort others through you today.

And most importantly, that He wants to display His splendor through them and through us.  In telling others about Jesus' hope and comfort, the Lord's splendor is revealed. In accepting His hope and comfort, and rejoicing in  praise because of His truth, His splendor is revealed. Be comforted today. Have hope today. Rejoice today. Give comfort today. Give hope today. Give joy today.

My bones wasted away

11/8/2012

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom The Lord counts no iniquity, in whose spirit there is no deceit.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.....
I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not cover my iniquity....and you forgave.
~ psalm 32:1-3, 5

I think I picked this verse ironically because I am just not feeling that well today...and bones wasting away could sum up some of my feelings today, however I cannot deny having this feeling when I have committed some sin such as complaining to a co- worker or not being patient with my family. Other sins can crush you as well such as gossip, lying, etc.  It actually becomes a burden for you to carry around and comes between you and God, not to mention your family or friends.

Don't carry that burden. God wants you to come to him and confess it. He wants you to lay it down and ask for forgiveness.  Notice in the earlier verses he says BLESSED are you whose transgressions are forgiven.  BLESSED are you whose sins are covered and in whom is NO deceit.

Do you want to be blessed? I do.  Do you want to rest in the plush grass or sit on the rocks and rotting grapes from yesterday's Devo?? He wants to bless you. He wants to FREE you. Come to him and you will be FREE!  He is waiting. You will be FREE!  Asking for his forgiveness will give you the FREEDOM to come closer to him, sit at his feet, understand his WORD better and hear his voice.  He wants to bless you. Ask him about yourself as he knows you better than you know yourself.  He will tell you and you will become who you were meant to be in him.

This is not a game, but WAR!!

11/7/2012

Today in chapel we talked about the Holy Spirit and what role he has in our lives. We heard from a student speaker who is a senior at our school and a godly young man.  One of the statements he said is that 'this is not a game, but war!'

So what does that mean?  When we are following the Holy Spirit we need to be cautious.  The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  This means that he watches you. He knows your weak points. He tries to find ways to trip you up.  He will tempt you in many ways, for example, he may push your buttons and you may explode in anger if that is your weak area.  He may bring ads in front of you that are seductive to draw you into thinking about pornography if that is a weak area for you.

So your first step in this WAR is to be aware of your weak areas (or potential ones) and plan ahead how you will COMBAT the enemy in that area and how to PROTECT yourself. 

The second step is stay humble.  There is a verse that says--pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). I was reading in Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis this morning and he said a humble person will not know he/she is humble. The person will be characterized by thinking of others first and not thinking of him/herself.  A humble person does not think of him/herself as deserving of anything, but of just being surrendered to the Holy Spirit to do God's will for others.

The third step is when/if you do FALL down, get up!  Don't let the enemy defeat you while you are on the ground!  Forgive yourself and ask God to forgive you, know that God loves you and values you and brush yourself off.

Next, plan ahead how you will get up next time, for example, find an accountability person.  Talk to him/her about your weak areas and ask him/her to pray for you and meet with you ongoing about it!  (always recommend-- guys with guys-- and girls with girls --unless you are a married adult--then choose your spouse to share with!)

Remember most of all this illustration of a life following God.  It is like a beautiful, big and glorious tree that is flourishing with fruit that gives you just the right nourishment. It has green leaves all around, huge wonderful fruit hanging low so you can reach it, plush grass on the ground that feels cool and comforting to your feet.  He gives you everything you need right here under this tree as you sit or lay down eating the fruit.   However, a life following the 'ways of the world', the fasad of having the right clothing, hair style, home or home furnishings, car, career, etc. will lead to death.  It is like a dried up grapevine that doesn't produce fruit and has old grapes rotting on the ground already been trappled on by others.  Oh from far away it looks pleasant and amazing, but once you are there--you realize, its not what you thought. There is not nourishment here, only dried up fruit that is being eaten up by worms.  There is also no place to sit or lay down as the old vines and rotting fruit are all over the ground with thorns and rocks underneath.  This place will be barren with no comfort.  It will be the place of death if you stayed there.

Find comfort in the Lord's love this day, follow him wholeheartedly as he is waiting for you.  He does not push himself on anyone, but waits and loves ready to offer all he has to you.  If you ever felt abandoned by him and bitter towards him, remember he never left you.  He never wanted pain and sorrow to be a part of your life and one day he will wipe away every tear and there will be no more sorrow or pain (a favorite verse of one of my students--Rev. 21:4).

Election Day

11/6/2012

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance." ~ Psalm 33:12

As you know there have been many statuses and tweets in leau of this election.  There are major perspectives at stake here and great divides among candidates.  Many of has have researched and watched debates repeatedly.  And then the time has come to vote.  

Great anxiety can shape this day or great peace.  We want our nation to grow and be strengthened. We want a person in office that will make wise decisions for the good of the people. We want someone we can trust, even with our very lives.  

Rest today in the fact that 'blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord'.  A nation is made up of people and it is what that nation believes that determines its course.  Are we going to trust God with our lives today?  He is not far from anyone of us. He is actually waiting, not wanting anyone to perish.  It is as simple as coming to him and asking for his help and guidance (life).  

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.  ~John 11:25

Then Jesus cried out, “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.  ~ John 12:44

Love

11/5/2012

The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteousness in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
~ Psalm 145:14-18

He cares for you even when you fall or fail, he raises you up! He also lifts up those that are bowed down...or those that are humble. Consider where you are today. Is everything going great? Praise him and let him lift you up, have you made terrible mistakes or have just felt like a failure lately? Remember God upholds you. He cradles you and holds you. Rest in him. Rest.

He not only knows your needs but your desires and guess what?! He satisfies them. Does that mean...that thing that is on your mind and that you feel most desperate about he will satisfy? Well actually anxiousness and fretting is not from The Lord. If you are feeling anxious about something, lay it down, commit it to The Lord.  He actually cannot give you his peace until you do so. Then ask him for what you desire most. There was a time in my life that extended for about 9 years in which I was conflicted as a single mom. I wanted a godly husband in my life and in my childrens lives and anxiously sought after him at times with no one even on the horizon.  This caused me great grief and pain.  It was not until 9 years later when I released it to The Lord in which he brought a godly husband into my life.  A man that even proposed to me explaining how he will serve me as Christ laid down his life for the church.  Amazing.

The other scripture that I wanted to mention is that he is loving toward all he has made. God is loving toward you! He is loving. He is love. Many times we get love mixed up with infatuation. Remember true love is selfless, it is patient, it is kind, it forgives, it is not envious, it is not boastful, it is not rude and it never fails(1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  As I did this devotional with the teenagers in my Bible classes today, I reminded them to examine their own friendships and relationships with others....parents, sisters, friends, etc. and see if they are loving others.  I told them to replace the word love with their own name for a true test to see if they are being loving. I heard a few 'oh's' across the room. Le tus remember God is loving toward us in this way, lets be loving toward others in the same way.   Let's also remember infatuation is 'self seeking', the opposite of love.  It focuses on how you feel when you are with someone instead of serving the other selflessly.

Lord, show us how to love others as you do. Give us your servants heart for others, putting others needs above our own.  May we choose to truly love others. Thank you for satisfying the desires of every living thing and for satisfying me.  Thank you for upholding me and lifting me up.  Amen.

Faith

Being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see....Heb. 11:1
Faith is George Mueller, father to many orphans, sitting down to a set table with his 'orphan' family to wait for their food, trusting God will bring it.
Faith is expecting God's promises.
Faith is expecting.
Expecting from God, waiting on Him, knowing that He is there and able.
Faith is trusting Him.  Trusting Him with your time, talents, abilities, desires, hopes, dreams, family, future, finances.....trusting...relying on Him.
Trust, according to the dictionary...

1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
2. Custody; care.
3. Something committed into the care of another; charge.
4. To have or place reliance or confidence in...
5. To expect with assurance; assume: I trust that you will be on time.
6. To believe: I trust what you say.
7. To place in the care of another; entrust.

Listen again to #5: To expect with assurance; assume.  Expect with assurance.  Assurance means...full confident, freedom from doubt, certainty.

Expecting God with full assurance. Faith is to be so confident that you base your actions on what you believe.
Faith is a spiritual substance. When you have this spiritual substance in you, it communicates to you a certain inner knowing that the thing you are hoping for is certainly established, even before you see any material evidence that it has happened. Through faith we can know we have the answer to our prayer before we see anything change in the natural order (1 John 5:14,15).


Faith is a rest. It is compatible with inner peace. It is not "trying to believe". To say that you are "trying to believe" God is to say that you don't believe Him. The man who is "trying to believe" may be sincere, but he does not have faith in that area yet (http://www.christian-faith.com/forjesus/faith-in-God).

Jesus couldn't do miracles in a certain town because the people lacked faith.


There will be more blogs on faith as I can tell God is trying to build mine more!! :) 

Thinking about what fits best right now.

There are many thoughts and feelings in thinking about how God could and will use our marriage/family for His Glory.  The first question I get at times, when it comes to foster care....is 'how could I give so much care and time/invest so much into a child to let them go back to where they came from?'  Well, the answer is...that it is not about me. It would not be about us and what we would go through, it's about what that child needs in his/her life at that time. It's about being Jesus to her or him.  That's it.  It's about ministering to that family too if that is available and possible.  It's just about giving.  The question about adopting....what is possible in our lives at this moment?  Sometimes when we are praying for something - we need to look at what would be possible for this family at this time in our lives.  Not to say God can't do the IMPOSSIBLE, because He most definitely can.  However, what has He called us to at this point.  What is He asking me/us to have faith for??? 
In our lives, for example...we are still paying debt off and I (Mom) am working full time...and infant right now may not be an option, unless we want to pay exorbitant amount in daycare.  We can wait a little longer so that in the near future we will be in a better place me to go down to part time or no work outside the home in order to give the kind of care needed for an infant. 
Another thought, is that we have 3 kids in the home right now and thinking of what kind of room we have in bedrooms for more children is a thought.  What age would work best in our family right now....and most of all---What does God have for us right now? 
Also, this is about our family, but first about our marriage.  It's about what we decide to do as a married couple to give and bless others.  It's about Him using our marriage for His glory. Marriage is not designed to be a place where I selfishly get what I want.  It's about working together to bless the other person, expecting nothing in return. It's about a safe place for those that visit.  It's about a loving home that has open arms willing to give. He says people will know we are His disciples by our love. 
We desire our children to be loving and accepting and giving to others as well...however, we will not let that determine our giving.  We desire and pray for the Lord to prepare our children for those that come to live with them.  I was praying the other day...expressing to the Lord my hesitancy and fears related to some of the reluctance I noticed in a couple of my children.  I was asking the Lord about this and wondering about how this would affect them, not wanting them to have hangups or become bitter, etc.....and I heard the Lord clearly say..."How else will they learn my compassion towards others if they do not see it modeled in your life?"  Peace.  Since then the phrase, "How else will they know my love?" keeps ringing over and over in my mind.  May we all ask ourselves that question and allow the Lord to make us more selfless and more giving.  May we allow God to let us get our hands dirty in helping others.  May we get so involved we do cry, we do laugh and we do hurt as well.  Then we will know we are being used, we are being His hands and feet to the world.  Most of all, it is not about us.

Knocking

 

1. Knock on doors....meaning, it's time to ask questions.  

2. Schedule time with friends that have adopted before me.  

3. Time to blanket this in prayer. 

4. Time to trust.

Thoughts on parenting.

I have always loved children! I love having them... I love other people's children... I love the teachable spirit of children.  I love that God teaches us about Himself through children. I love seeing Jesus in a child.  Over the years its been a little trying when my kids have shown me my flaws and when I see they can be more patient than me!  Its quite humbling actually to be a parent.  It was also huge when I first realized how vulnerable my children are and how much impact I really have on them! I have found myself asking, how can God trust ME with this sweet, precious child.  Am I going to mess him up? [Look at me, I don't have it all together.]  How in the world do I do this?!  This is just where I realized how much patience and grace God has for me. 

His grace is being shown in immeasurable ways to me lately.  God is not looking for perfection.  He is not looking for me to have it all together. He is looking for a willing heart and willing hands.  He says to go out into the world and be ME [Jesus] to others.  Let me love them through you.  All the bumps and turns in the road are going to bring out His purpose in me and others.  When there is a problem or an issue, guess what?  It will be used to bring me or others closer to Him.  If that problem was not there how can we know what to work on or how to grow closer to the Lord?  He says to rejoice in our trials. I have known that verse for over 30 years and just this past week had to pray it again and choose to rejoice all over again!  Isn't that like our Lord, continuing to shape us and challenge us?  The times of refreshment come when we sit before Him, listening and waiting.  Those are the times to savor. The times to reflect on remembering His presence.  His peace. 

We can have that peace anytime.  Anytime we rest in Him and remember His promises. In the middle of a busy, noisy mommy moment trying to feed her infant and 2 year old at the same time.  In the middle of an argument with her teenager about some serious topic that she worst fears, etc.  His rest is always there and always available to you. 

His rest is in the fact that He knows the future.  He knows the future of our lives.  He knows the trials and the joys to come!  He knows that it shakes me a little to consider adopting a child.  He knows.  He knows what I've been through and the fears that come up at times.  He knows that He is growing my faith again.  He knows that I have to trust Him in this.  He knows that He has called us to the hands and feet of Jesus.  He knows that I am convinced I am His and this is His life - not mine.  He knows that I will wait on Him. He knows that He is going to teach me more about Himself through a child again.  He knows that He will love the child or children through me.  He knows that I am willing to be used.  He knows there are children waiting.  He knows there are children waiting to be loved.  Of any trial or bump in the road that may come, He is BIG enough! He is big enough and all He calls me to do is rejoice in Him and in the trials.  That is all He calls me to do.  REJOICE!......and let Him Love through me. 

Winter Hope

 

As the Cardinal trusts God for his food during the cold, barren winter, I trust God today.